When recruiting mentors, targeting your message to a specific subset of your potential mentors is a great way to connect with them on a deeper level and get them to attend mentor orientation. You can segment your potential mentors into whatever groups make sense for your program and community. Below are a few ways we segment our mentors and some sample language we might use to recruit that specific group. 

Gender

"We’re looking for a few good men. This year, our male students outnumber their female counterparts, creating an urgent need for more male volunteers. The boys in our program are committed to finding success and are looking for great role models like you."

"Women make it happen. In honor of International Women’s Day, take action and empower a young woman in New York City today by becoming a mentor."

Career

"As you may know, the partnership between Barclays and iMentor has been able to provide almost 100 low-income students with excellent Barclay’s mentors this past year. You are already part of a committed team who is helping students across New York City graduate high school, enroll in college, and follow their ambitions."

"Now, we’re asking you to bring this opportunity to more of your colleagues. You know firsthand the challenges, successes, and value of the work you do, so help us connect with great individuals like you."

Interests

"Do you love video games? Writing code? Creating new products? So do our students at the Academy for Software Engineering. Now you can pair your personal and professional interests to help a student follow their passions to college and beyond." 

Ethnicity

"About 25% of iMentor NYC’s students are English Language Learners. If you speak a second language or were a first-generation student yourself, you have invaluable skills, experience, and hindsight that you can share with a student."

Age

"Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? Most of our students are just beginning to think about what may come after high school. If it has only been a few years or if it has been a few decades, you can help a student learn more about majors in college."

Motivation

"Painted a school? Check.
Jogged a 5K? Check.
Change a life?
Here’s your chance. Apply today to become a mentor and join a high impact program to empower high school students to achieve their ambitions."

Have other ideas on how to segment your mentor pool? Leave them in the comments below.